Bengaluru: The Congress-led Karnataka government has once again landed in the middle of a political storm, this time over the clearance of illegal sheds in Kogilu Layout in Bengaluru, with the BJP accusing it of following a “dual policy” and showing selective compassion under political pressure.
The controversy comes close on the heels of the state government’s announcement of compensation to the family of a person who died in an elephant attack in Wayanad, the Lok Sabha constituency represented by Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi and earlier by Rahul Gandhi. BJP leaders allege that the government appears more responsive to issues linked to Congress high command leaders and neighbouring states than to the plight of its own people.
Raising serious questions, BJP MLC Ravi Kumar asked whether the Congress government was now prepared to construct 180 to 200 houses for people from Kerala merely in response to a social media post by AICC general secretary K C Venugopal. “If the government is ready to act overnight based on a tweet from Delhi, then who will build houses for the refugees and homeless people of Karnataka, especially in North Karnataka?” he asked.
Speaking to the media in Kalaburagi, Ravi Kumar strongly condemned the state government’s handling of the Kogilu Layout issue. He alleged that the Congress government was attempting to regularise illegal constructions only after political pressure from its national leadership, exposing its biased and inconsistent governance.
“The government has not cared about thousands of Kannadigas who have been homeless for years due to floods, droughts and administrative failures. People in North Karnataka are still living in temporary shelters, fighting for basic dignity. But now, suddenly, the government wakes up because AICC leaders intervene,” Ravi Kumar said.
The civic authorities demolished illegal structures in Kogilu Layout using JCBs, citing encroachment on land earmarked for public infrastructure. Initially, the government defended the action, stating that the structures were illegally constructed and that several occupants were migrants from Kerala. However, the issue quickly snowballed into a political controversy after Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan took to X and accused the Karnataka government of being “anti-democratic” and running a “JCB government”.
The remarks triggered sharp reactions from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Ministers, who condemned the Kerala CM for interfering in Karnataka’s internal matters. Despite this, the BJP alleges that the Congress government made a sudden U-turn after AICC general secretary K C Venugopal posted on X, following which assurances of rehabilitation and resolution were announced.
Ravi Kumar questioned this abrupt shift in the government’s stand. “Are you saying the Karnataka government will build houses because your AICC general secretary posted on X? Kannadigas are shedding tears. They are struggling day and night. Can’t you see their pain?” he asked.
He further said that if the government plans to construct 180 or 200 houses following Venugopal’s intervention, it must answer how many houses it has built for the homeless in North Karnataka and other regions of the state. “How many flood-affected families have been permanently rehabilitated? How many drought-hit families are still waiting for proper housing? Is this the attitude of a responsible government?” he asked.
The BJP leader accused the Congress government of practising the politics of appeasement and ignoring the aspirations and suffering of the people of Karnataka. He said the state government’s actions have sent a wrong message that issues gain priority only when they attract national-level political attention.
